Automobile bumper



Nov. 8, 1927.

E. A. GATES,

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed Alle. 25, 1926 FIG. l 2

no w In www. l L M FIG. .3

INVENTOR. GATES A TTORNEY @atented Non. 8, i927.

trenV srnrs s A. GTES, 0E' MN Bmw,

ly. .ci

een nmeo, leerme s Application medr August 25, i928. serial No. 131,359,

My invention relates to automobile bumpers, and the objects oi myinvention are: iirst, to provide a bumper of this class which willehiectively protect the automobile on e which it is mounted as well as,to a great extent, the automobile or other object encountered or ond, toprovide a bumper for automobiles whichis so constructed and mounted asto te yield readil to a slight impact, as well as to resist an protectthe automobile trom e. more severe collision; third, to lprovide a bumer oft this class having series of springs, yiel able under slightimpact as well as when combined with others to yield under andresistinore severe impacts; fourth, to

provide a bumper of this class-which is-balsneed to a certain extent infront of and behind its supporting means; fifth, to provide a bumper ofthis class which will yield readily at one end when subjected to animpact at said end without distorting the bumper permanently; sixth, toprovide as a whole a novelly constructed automobile bumper, and

seventh, to provide a bumper or this classwhich is simple and economicalof construction proportionate to its functions, particularly durable,and which willnot readily deteriorate or get out o order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists oi certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will behereinafter dees scribed in detail and particularly set forth in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and tothe characters oi reference thereon, which form a peut o thisapplication, in which:

1G igure i. isa. plan view of my bumper structure, mounted at theforward end ot an automobile, showing the supporting brackets and theautomobile wheels fragmentarily; Fi 2 is a iront elevational viewthereof,

'45 an Fig. 3 is an ,enlarged longitudinal sectional view, through oneof the yieldable portions of the bumper, showingy certain parte vandportions in elevation to facilitate the illustration-and also showing bydotted 50 lines certain parte shifted to certain inward positions. y Y

Like characters of reference refer to similar parte and ortionsthroughout the sev-A eral vviews of e drawing. 1

i The brackets 1,'support 2i,

plungers 3,

bumped by 'the bumper; secvmediate the ends of the plunger.

springs d and 5, washers 6, caps 7 nuts 8, 9 and l0, caps ll, nuts i2,bumper member 13, bolts 1 4, and rubber strips 15 consti- .tute theprincipal parte and portions of my bumper structure.

The brackets l may be of any suitable construction and are secured tothe ends of the automobile frame extending beyond the M ody, or to anyother portion oi the automobile frame. At the outer ends of the brachets'l is secured a support 2, which is preierably in the form of ehorizontal channel with its danges directed inwardl and secured at itsopposite ends to the rackets l in any suitable manner..l Near the endsoi the channel supporti?, are provided forwardly and backwardlyextending tubular or cylindrical portions 2a and 2b respectively.'lhrough the tubular or cylindrical portions 2a and 2", at the oppositeends ont the chanv nel support 2, are reciprocally mounted rinus 2 inthe web of the channel support between the tubular portions 2a and 2bthereon,4 rlh'e web portion of the channel 2 provides shoulders at the'inner ends oi the tubular portions as shown in Fi ure 3. Within cachotthe forwardly exten ing tubular portions 2B is provided a compressionspringe which extends around the plunger 3 therein and with its innerend engaging the shoulder at the inner end ofthe portion 2a and itsouter end engaging a shoulder or collar it` inter- Within each of thetubular portions 2h is also provided a compression spring 5 which ispositioned'around the plunger 3 and between a washer 6 at its innerendend a cap 7 vat its outer end the cap 7 being secured to the outer'`end oi the' tubular portion 2b. rlhe washer 6 is loosely ositionedaround the plunger 3 and norma y/engages at its er side and at itseriphery an annular shoulder 2*? within t e tubular portion 2*. forwardmovement of the plunger 3 is limited b a nut 8 and a lock nut 9- at theinner end o the plunger 3 which extends through a central opening in thecap 7, the nut 8 engaging the outer side of the cap. The :inner or rearend of the plunger 3, as shown, isreduced, forming a shoulder 3intermediate its ends and 'within the tubular portion 2", Against saidshoulder is secured a nut 10, which may be secured in psition from innerend oi the plunger v a wrench en ers 3 which extend through openings The,I

gaging notches at the`outer end or side of the nut. The diameter of thenut 10 is slightly less than the restricted portion of the tubularportion 2d forming the shoulder within said tubular portion, to permitfree movement of saidr nut beyond the shouf: der 2". Over the outer endsof the tubular portions 2", at the forward or outer side of the channel2, are reciprocally mounted caps 11 f in the form of cylinders providedwith heads vao 1l at their outer ends. To these heads 11a are securedthe forward reduced ends of the plungers 3 by means of nuts 12. .Nearthe upper and lower portions of the forward or outer ends of thecylinders 11 are provided outwardly extending lugs 11", which arepositioned between and pivotally connected to lugs 13a extendingbackwardly from the automobile bumper member 13, said lugs beingconnected together by bolts 14.

It will be here noted that either the lugs 1lb or the lugs 13a at oneend of the bumper are transversely slotted, or slotted longitudinallywith the bumper, -as indicated by 13? in Figure l to permit either ofthe ends of the bumper to be shifted inwardly without unnecessary strainand distortion on any of the members of the structure.

The bumper member 13 is of C-shaped cross section with the open portionof the section extending outwardly or forwardly as shown. member,however, are preferably provided with fins or more resilient portions 13which are of less thickness than the overall thick ness of the bumpermember so as to provide more yieldable ends. Said En ends are curvedbackwardly at their ends, as shown.

At the forward sides or edges of the bumper member are providedlongitudinally extending dovetail slots 13d in which are securedcorrespondingly shaped dovetail portions 15a of rubber bumper strips 15,the outer sides of which extend a considerable distance forwardly of theforward sides of the bumper member. The mounting of the rubber stripslgpermits the same to be readily removed and replaced by others.

- said sprin s bein When the bumper is shifted inwardly by slightimpact, only the springs 4 function, preferably longer and more readi yyiel able than the springs 5.

When greaterresistance is encountered and the bumper shifted inwardlyunder severe impact, the light springs 4 function first until the nuts10 engage the washers 6, at-

which time the springs 5 will be compressed and both' springs at eachend will take up the shock of the bumper.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arment of parts and portions, I do not wis to be ulimited to thisparticular` construction, combination, and arrangement,

The opposite ends of the bumper but desire to include in the scope of myin vention the construction, combination and arrangement substantiallyas set forth in the appendedclaims;

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automobile bumper structure,'a supporting means, contractiblesupports mounted -at the opposite ends thereof and extending forwardlyand backwardly thereof, compression springs mounted in said contractiblesupports, and a bumpermember pivotally mounted near its opposite ends atthe outer ends of said contractible supports. f2..` In an automobilebumper structure, a pair of contractible supports positioned in spacedrelation with each other, a pair of se'- quentially `actuativecompression springs mounted in each of said contractible supports, and abumper member pivotally con supports.

3. In an automobile bumper structure, a pair of contractible supportspositioned in spaced relation with each other, a pair of sequentiallyactuative compression springs mounted in each of said contractiblesupports, and a bumper member pivotally connected to the outer ends ofsaid contractible supports, the springs of each pair of springs being soarranged that the one spring of each pair will yield under slightimpact, and that both springs of each pair will yield under more severeimpact.

4. In an automobile bumper structure, a horizontal supporting memberadapted to be mounted at one end of an automobile in transverse relationtherewith, tubular portions provided at the-opposite ends of saidsupporting member and extending forwardly and baokwardly thereof,plungers reciprocally mounted in the tubular portions at the* of thesupporting member will yield under more severe impact, caps reciprocallymounted over the vouter ends of the tubular por- -tions extendingoutwardly from said supporting member, said plungers being secured attheir outer. ends to said caps, and a bumper member pivotally mounted onsaid ca s.

In an automobile bumper structure, a yieldably mountedbumper member ofrigid construction" and provided with iin ends and rubber stripslsecured tothe front side of said 4bumper member and extendinglongitudinally therewith.

6. In an automobile bumper structure, in combination, a shook absorbermember comprising a portion rigidly secured to the automobile, a portionpivotally secured 'cto 'abumper member and telescopically mounted oversaid first portion, an axially extending guide member secured to saidsecond portion and sli'dable through said first portion, a rst .my'handat San Diego, California, this 28 day of July 1926.

ELSHA A. GATES,

